— THE GRESB INFRASTRUCTURE FUND ASSESSMENT —
The Investor-driven Global ESG Benchmark for the Infrastructure Sector
The Infrastructure Fund Assessment assesses the ESG performance of infrastructure funds.
Institutional investors are demanding information about the ESG management and investment processes undertaken by fund managers. The Infrastructure Fund Assessment addresses this need through a consistent, globally applicable reporting and benchmarking framework.
What is the GRESB Infrastructure Fund Assessment?
The GRESB Infrastructure Fund Assessment provides the basis for systematic reporting, objective scoring and peer benchmarking of ESG management and performance of infrastructure funds around the world. The process is unique in the ESG space and leads to deep data insights for investors and infrastructure fund managers.
The Fund Assessment contains 12 indicators focused on management and investment processes. These indicators address foundational ESG plans and policies, leadership and accountability, engagement strategies, communications processes and other factors.
Additionally, the fund’s underlying assets may participate in the complimentary Infrastructure Asset Assessment. While the participation of underlying assets is not required, funds participating with at least 25% of assets will receive an overall GRESB score and be allocated to a corresponding peer group.
The data are subjected to a multi-layer validation process and the result is high-quality data that investors and participants can use in their investment and decision-making processes.
What type of funds does the GRESB Infrastructure Fund Assessment cover?
The GRESB Infrastructure Fund Assessment is designed to assess funds across a wide range of sectors, including energy generation, energy transmission, water resource management, transportation and social infrastructure.
Common examples of infrastructure funds participating in the GRESB Infrastructure Fund Assessment include:
• A sector-focused fund with investments in toll roads
• A geographic-focused fund with investments in a specific region, such as North America or Oceania
• A segregated account that is globally diversified offering exposure to several sectors
Benefits of Participating
| Improved ability to manage your infrastructure fund in the face of sustainability risks. | Insight into how to best capitalize on sustainability-related opportunities such as lowering operating costs and meeting regulatory requirements. | ||
| Clearer picture of your ESG performance and how it compares against your peers. | Better understanding of the actions you can take to improve your ESG performance in the most efficient way. | ||
| Greater knowledge of investor needs and perspectives to enrich your investor engagement. | Improved opportunity to attract new investors, including long term investors and investors seeking more comprehensive risk and opportunity analysis. | ||
| Reduced time and effort needed to respond to ad-hoc requests relating to sustainability issues. | Ability to report validated ESG performance information to the market using a global industry standard. | ||
| More consistent messaging about your sustainability performance to your stakeholders. | Recognition that you have taken a significant step towards leadership on ESG issues. |
GRESB Infrastructure Investor Members
The Assessment provides a communication platform to improve engagement with investors and enables participants to report validated ESG performance information in a format and language that serves their needs.
View all GRESB Investor Members
Assessment Process
The Assessment follows a regular annual timeline, with the Portal opening on April 1 each year. Participants complete the Assessment by reporting through the Portal. Prior to finalizing their submission, participants are given the opportunity to request a Response Check to minimize the risk of errors.
The submission deadline is July 1, which provides participants with a three-month window to complete the Assessment. Once all Assessments have been submitted and the Portal has closed, GRESB begins the process of validating, scoring and benchmarking the submitted data:
SYSTEMATIC ASSESSMENT
1. Validation
GRESB has established a robust data validation process to underpin the accuracy and reliability of its output. It is based on a three-layer data quality control process designed to ensure submission of high quality information. The approach to validation was developed by PwC and involves third party verification by GBCI.
2. Objective Scoring
The GRESB Scoring Model is based on an automated system, which uses a technology platform designed for GRESB by a third party that specializes in data analysis software development. The scoring is completed without manual intervention after data input.
3. Peer Benchmarking
Peer comparisons that take into account country, regional, sectoral and investment type variations provide a powerful lens through which to benchmark performance. Each participant is assigned to a peer group, based on the entity’s legal structure (listed/private), sector and geographical location.
Assessment Results
The Assessment Results are launched in October. The 12 indicators in the Fund Assessment contribute to an overall Fund Score. If the fund participates with at least 25% of its assets in the complimentary GRESB Infrastructure Asset Assessment, the fund will also receive a GRESB Score and be allocated to a corresponding peer group.
In addition to the overall scores, participants can access powerful analytical tools and services that provide in-depth analysis of sustainability performance, enable detailed peer group comparisons and highlight industry best practices.
First year participants can submit the Assessment without providing GRESB Investor Members with the ability to request access to their results. This is referred to as a “Grace Period”.
Participate in the Assessment
We recognize all participants completing the Assessments as GRESB Participant Members. This underlines the contribution that participants make to our collective vision of sustainable real assets and the collaborative effort that underpins our work.
Managers who participated in the 2019 Assessment
If you participated in the 2019 GRESB Assessment we recognize you as a GRESB Participant Member.
Take advantage of lower fees for multiple participating entities by paying annually for your membership, before the Portal opens on April 1, 2020. See 2020 Annual Fee Schedule.
You can also pay at the time of submission but will not benefit from the lower multiple-entity pricing that applies to the annual invoice option.
For the 2020 Assessment, the Response Check, Customized Benchmark Reports, training seats, and other products and services) are no longer bundled with the participation package. This means you can choose only those products and services you are interested in. See fees for products and services.
New participants
GRESB Participant Membership is open for fund managers, companies and asset operators participating in the GRESB Assessments.
As a GRESB Participant Member, you’ll have access to high-quality ESG data and powerful analytical tools to benchmark your ESG performance, identify areas for improvement and engage with investors.
You’ll also have the opportunity to sit on Advisory Boards, regional Benchmark Committees (where applicable) and to join Industry Working Groups to inform the future content of the GRESB Assessments.